Davis Foundation Donates $500,000 to Region’s COVID-19 Response Fund
SPRINGFIELD — The Irene E. & George A. Davis Foundation announced a grant of $500,000 to the COVID-19 Response Fund for the Pioneer Valley, established by the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts, to provide flexible resources to Pioneer Valley nonprofit organizations serving populations most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Davis Foundation donation is part of the Community Foundation campaign to rally business and philanthropic support for the fund, and is included in the more than $3 million raised to date.
Speaking on behalf of the Davis Foundation, Director Steven Davis said, “these are extraordinary times requiring that business and philanthropy in Western Massachusetts come together to address this unprecedented crisis and its impact on the people of our region. We applaud the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts for their leadership in establishing the COVID-19 Response Fund and are proud to provide these much-needed resources.”
The COVID-19 Response Fund’s grants to nonprofits support the region’s most vulnerable populations, such as the elderly, those without stable housing, families needing food, and those with particular health vulnerabilities.
The COVID-19 Response Fund, now over $3 million in donations, has awarded $1 million to nearly 30 local nonprofits serving the immediate needs of the most vulnerable populations affected by the pandemic in Western Mass. For more information about the fund, visit communityfoundation.org/covid19.
According to Katie Allan Zobel, president and CEO of the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts, “the Davis Foundation is a critical resource to our region, and we welcome their generous support of the COVID-19 Response Fund. We appreciate our longtime partnership with the Davis Foundation and their unwavering commitment to our community.”
The Davis Foundation, a private family foundation established in 1970, supports nonprofit organizations seeking to improve the quality of life for those residing in Hampden County, with a particular focus in the areas of education and early literacy. The foundation and the Davis family have historically served as leaders in countless community efforts, and many local nonprofit organizations have come to rely upon the foundation as a source of support for a wide variety of programs and projects.